Press release
Minister McConalogue announces €184 million in advance payments under the new Eco-Scheme to 106,137 farmers
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, today announced the commencement of advance payments under the 2023 Eco-Scheme. This is an important milestone as the Eco-scheme is a new scheme introduced for the first time earlier this year by the department under the new CAP.
The Minister said:
“I am delighted to confirm that advance payments under the Eco-Scheme, worth almost €184 million to 106,137 farmers, have commenced today. The aim of Ireland’s Eco-Scheme is to reward farmers for undertaking actions beneficial to the climate, environment, water quality and biodiversity. Eco-Scheme payments are a vital support for farmers who are delivering environmental and biodiversity benefits. The payment rate is €67 per eligible hectare.”
The Minister continued:
"Given the importance of scheme payments to farmers, the department wrote to all farmers in March and September of this year outlining the payment schedule over the coming months.
"I am committed to ensuring that all scheme payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible to ensure that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner. Payment dates for 2024 will revert to the normal timeframe from previous years, once the complexities of delivering a totally new payment system have been worked through.”
Concluding, the Minister said:
“The Eco-Scheme advance payments are commencing today at a rate of 70%. Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and the department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria. I would urge any farmers with outstanding requests for documentation from my department, to return them to allow payments to issue.”
Overall 89% of eligible Eco-scheme applicants will receive an Eco-scheme payment in the coming days.
Payments under the 2023 Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), which started in recent weeks, are also continuing as more cases are cleared for payment.
Please be mindful that depending on who you bank with, it can take up to 3 – 5 days for your Eco payment to be in your bank account.
To facilitate farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their Eco-Scheme, BISS or ANC payments, extended hours are in place for the Direct Payments Helpdesk. From Tuesday 31 October to Friday 3 November, the Helpdesk will be available up to 8.30pm. Farmers can contact the Helpdesk at 057-867 4422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via www.agfood.ie.
The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment and keeps rural areas vibrant. EU countries implement the CAP at national level with a CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability.
The Eco-Scheme has been introduced for the first time as part of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. The aim of the Eco-Scheme is to reward farmers, from all farming sectors and from different levels of intensity, for undertaking actions that are beneficial to the climate, environment, water quality and biodiversity.
The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Eco-Scheme are funded by the EU.
For more information, visit www.gov.ie/cap.